


in the blink of an eye

by ashlockley



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, also here this mess finally is, let lena be a hero cw you fucking cowards, speedster!lena au, thank you to redkrypto for giving me the drive to get over writer's block and finish this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-09 17:24:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12893004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashlockley/pseuds/ashlockley
Summary: “Wait- who are you?”“I’m nobody,” came the reply. “Just trying to help.”“You saved my life up there. Can I get a name, just so I know who I have to thank?”The speedster chuckled, the sound of her vibrating laughter sending an odd shiver down Kara’s back. “You’ll have to do better than that, Supergirl.”“I could just follow you, you know,” Kara insisted. “Or peek under that helmet.”“You’ll have to catch me first.” The woman vibrated, her arm slipping through Kara’s grasp like smoke, and flashed her one more brilliant, toothy grin. “And I think we both know who’s faster.”aka a speedster!lena au with supercorp endgame





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to redkrypto for helping get this horrendous monster out

“Ponytail!”

Kara felt her cheeks flush as all eyes fell on her, but it was Snapper’s unyielding stare that made her want nothing more than to be someplace else. The man seemed to have it out for her ever since she got her position back and it was really testing the limits of how much nonsense she’d tolerate before she threw the rulebook out the window along with the rest of him-

“Did you hear me, Ponytail?”

“I- um- yes?”

The man grew even more irate – the bulging vein on his temple let her know that much – and he tossed a paper in front of her, scattering her neatly arranged notes and sending her pen rolling off the side. Kara bit the inside of her cheek – calm, she told herself, keep calm – as she picked it up, but in truth she didn’t need to read it to know what it said.

**WHERE IS LENA LUTHOR?**

“Seven months and not one word out of her about the accident that her little science project caused. Either she knew it was going to happen and didn’t tell anyone, or she’s so out of the loop on her own company that they didn’t bother telling her. Whatever it is, you’re pally with her so I want you to-”

“She didn’t do this.” A part of her knew she shouldn’t have said anything, but she just couldn’t stand by quietly – not when he was talking about Lena. Kara gritted her teeth and all but threw the newspaper down, a display that actually seemed to make Snapper step back just a little. “Len- Miss Luthor has done nothing but help this city since she got here, I don’t understand why you keep on going after her-”

“Enough.” Snapper banged his fist against the table hard and the others in the room jumped, their faces pale and terrified. “She’s the one who built that portal that let all those alien invaders in. She’s the one who built the particle accelerator that killed twenty people and injured hundreds more. What are you, in love with her? If you can’t see through the wool over your eyes, Ponytail, you can get out of my department and stay out.”

Her cheeks burned hotly with rage, embarrassment and a whole host of other feelings she didn’t have the English words for. How dare he- he didn’t know what happened, what Lena did to save everyone in the city, and yet here he was talking about her like she was some kind of criminal. In that moment Kara wanted nothing more than to make him shut up - it would be so easy to walk over there, hoist him up by that awful shirt he had worn for the last two days until he stopped talking.

“You’re going to find out exactly what kind of dirty secret she’s hiding. No negotiations.”

The rest of the meeting passed in a blur. Her blood ran so hot through her veins she couldn’t focus on anything besides that – and the subject of Lena. She ducked out of the room as soon as it was over, ignoring Snapper’s glower, and when she reached her desk she realised her fist had been clenched the whole time, her pen crushed into little more than dust and ink. Kara took a deep breath – not that it helped calm the jangle in her nerves, nor the ever-present worry that sat deep in her chest – and checked her email for any sort of response to the hundreds of emails she’d sent to L-Corp.

None. Zilch. _Zha_.

The radio silence stung – she and Lena were friends, weren’t they, and friends didn’t just up and vanish without telling each other. _Unless you weren’t to begin with_ , a voice whispered in her ear. _Maybe she got tired of you, constantly breaking off plans and lying to her about being Supergirl – and can you blame her?_

Kara shook her head – thinking like that was only going to make herself feel worse, if that was even possible – and switched off her computer. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned back in her seat, rubbing at her temples – if she was human, she’d definitely have a headache by now – and she was about to call it a night when her phone suddenly buzzed, jolting her from her thoughts, and she reached for it so quickly she almost sent the screaming device flying across the room.

 **Alex:** _Movie night?_

She groaned. She knew she shouldn’t be disappointed – it had been a while since she’d gotten to spend time with her sister – but she felt disappointment all the same. She typed in a quick reply of yeah sure, you can pick and put in an order for two pizzas – and then a third, because she was hungry and frustrated and pizza was delicious.

It was late when she finally got home – and Alex wasn’t even there, which soured her mood even more. Kara dropped the stack of pizzas onto the kitchen top and snagged two slices out of the top one – she couldn’t wait any longer, she was starving – and switched on the television.

_-been seven months since the containment breach of the L-Corp particle accelerator beneath National City and its effects still being felt. Repairs on city infrastructure have been severely delayed by pockets of lethal radiation generated by the incident – and the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission has said today that the radiation may very well persist until the end of the year. Lena Luthor, the CEO of L-Corp, has yet to comment on the-_

“Kara?”

Alex’s voice jolted her – a normally impossible thing, what with her reactions and her sister’s loud clompy feet that gave her away from a mile away – and Kara felt her brow crease in anger as she took another angry bite out of her pizza and switched the screen off, tossing the remote at the other side of the couch.

“You’re late.”

“I’m really sorry, something came up at the DEO and I couldn’t leave. Man, Maggie helped me bring in this big guy who just slimed all over the place-”

“You’re _late_.”

Alex stopped mid-bite, taken aback. “I’m sorry, it couldn’t be helped-”

“I don’t care,” Kara snapped. “You were the one who wanted to do movie night, you can’t say you want to do it and then not show up!”

“He was going to derail the monorail!” Her sister’s voice rose to match hers. “What did you expect me to do, not stop him-”

“I expect you not to make promises you can’t keep-”

“That is not fair, and you know it!”

Fighting with her sister never ended well but at that moment she didn’t care. Her day sucked, her boss sucked and the weight of all of it crushing down on her shoulders just made her want to scream. It wasn’t fair – she helped save the city, the whole damn world and she couldn’t even get her sister to show up on time for a stupid movie-

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub-_

That- that was-

_Lub-dub, lub-dub, lub-dub-_

She couldn’t move.

She couldn’t breathe.

“Kara-”

“Shut up.” Her voice was barely above a whisper – if she spoke too loud, drowned out that faint sound she was scared it would vanish like smoke in the wind – but it didn’t go away. It thrummed in time with her own, the beat pulsing again and again over through her being, and grew stronger and stronger until it was hard to remember that it had ever even been gone.

“I- I’ve got to go,” she mumbled as she pushed open the door to the balcony, barely even hearing her sister calling out her name again. There was something wet against her face, trailing down her cheeks and whipping away into the darkness as she took off into the night, and her chest felt almost too tight, threatening to burst with each thundering beat – but she just kept flying, flying, flying until she could see the shining _L_ on the horizon.

She came down in a back alley, the concrete cracking under the force of her landing, but she didn’t notice or care. Kara couldn’t focus on anything – not the way people stared at her dishevelled, wind-whipped clothes, not the security guards trying to stop her, not even Jess who tried to get her to slow down. Her mind was clouded by noise, disparate voices of concern and worry all clamouring over each other as she finally stepped out onto the top floor – but they fell silent in unison as the door to Lena’s office opened.

Lena Luthor stood in the doorway, her hands clasped in that way whenever she was nervous – and Kara let out a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding in since she landed. It was like the last seven months had never happened – her smile, the verdant glitter of her eyes, they hadn’t changed one bit – but they had, and she was in front of Lena in a single step, wrapping her arms around her in a bone crushing hug.

“Lena,” she breathed out.

Rao, she’d missed her – her voice, her warmth, the reassuring rhythm of her heartbeat. There were people she always listened for, a small list that grew smaller when Lena disappeared after the particle accelerator accident – and she couldn’t describe the relief she felt to have the familiar pulse restored to her, after such a long absence. Kara squeezed tighter – it wasn’t a dream, she told herself, it wasn’t - and Lena chuckled, the sound of her laughter sending a shiver down Kara’s back.

“Hello to you too, Kara.” Lena’s voice was teasing, just how she remembered it. “You’re going to break something-”

“I don’t care.” She was crying properly now, her eyes stinging and her cheeks burning, but she couldn’t stop herself. “You’re okay- thank Rao, you’re okay-”

They stood right there in the doorway, she didn’t know for how long, with Lena’s hand stroking along her back and her words whispering into her ear. Everything that had been so raw inside her all these months, all the anger and pain she had been holding back came out all at once and she couldn’t, she didn’t want to stop.

“It’s alright, I’m here, I’m fine,” Lena hummed. “Please don’t cry, darling, or I will too.”

“M’not crying,” she protested, crying.

The other woman laughed again, this time a little more watery – and when she finally felt the storm calm in her head in she managed a smile, giving her one last squeeze before she let her arms fall. Kara wiped her face with the back of her hand – God she looked like such a mess, and in front of Lena of all people – but Lena didn’t seem to mind, still grinning that brilliant, dazzling smile.

“Feel better?”

“A little,” she sniffled. “You don’t know how much I missed you, Lena.”

“Well, I know how much I missed you,” Lena replied, her smile turning wistful. Their hands met, fingers entwining for just a moment, before they pulled away and Kara found herself missing the contact almost immediately – seven months would do that, she supposed. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you know where I was, I should have-”

“N-no-” Kara shook her head. “It’s not your fault, Lena. How could it be? I didn’t mean- it doesn’t matter, I’m just glad you’re- you’re okay.”

Her eyes wandered down from Lena’s face and widened. “More than okay, it looks like- did you spend your down time working out?”

“Ah- well, I was in a coma for seven months, so not exactly... I was hooked up to an exercise machine and I think they may have gone a touch overboard-”

“You were in a _coma_?”

Her horror must have been showing because Lena reached for her hands again, squeezing just hard enough that if she were human it would probably hurt a little, and she took a deep breath - she didn’t have to panic, to worry any more.

“Just a small one – I hit my head during the accident, the doctors kept me under to make sure there was nothing wrong.”

“Still,” Kara huffed, her eyes still wet. “A coma, Lena? I- this shouldn’t have happened, Supergirl should have been there.”

“Well you can tell Supergirl for me that there’s no hard feelings,” Lena replied with a chuckle. “How about we take this into my office and let Jess get back to her work, shall we?”

“Oh- oh yes, of course, I’m so sorry Jess-” Kara started, calling over her shoulder as Lena shepherded her into the room – which was an absolute mess. In all the times she’d come over it had always been immaculate, tidy to a fault, but now there were files and papers strewn all over the place, boxes stacked up high in the corner and hard drives piled up on her desk. “What- what’s going on?”

“Things tend to get backed up when you’re lying on a bed for longer than four hours, unfortunately.” The woman heaved a stack of files off the couch, carefully ferrying them over to sit them down on her desk chair, and let out a deep sigh as she settled down, gesturing for Kara to do the same. “The board was in charge of the company during my absence, and I’m just trying to work through all the things they did whilst I wasn’t looking.”

Concern fluttered in her belly. “Did they- I swear, if they-”

“You worry too much, Kara,” Lena laughed quietly. “But I appreciate it. No, it shouldn’t be anything I can’t handle, just some men who need to be reminded whose name is on the building.”

“If you need any help reminding them-”

“I have your number.” Lena’s smile shone, even in the low, orange glow of the singular lamp beside them. “Now, I want to hear about you. What did I miss during my nap-”

And of course, right at that moment her phone rung. Kara fumbled for it, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment, and her stomach sank as she read the message on her screen.

_Attack of unknown origin downtown. Urgent._

“Lena, I- uh-” she stammered. “There’s an- emergency at CatCo, they need me down there right now. I’m really, really sorry, but I have to go-”

“No worries.” Lena smiled, and Kara felt a pang in her stomach – lying to her sucked, it sucked hard. “An issue came up with accounting earlier that I probably should deal with, so I actually have to go too – but we should do dinner later?”

“Yes, definitely.” Kara nodded emphatically. “So long as there’s no kale!”

Lena’s parting laughter kept her warm even as she surged through the skies, the cold, icy wind biting at her exposed skin. Kara smiled – how could she not, really – but a loud explosion below quickly sobered her, and she watched as a plume of smoke rose from a building on the horizon, flames licking out of its shattered windows.

“Rao,” she breathed, eyes wide – there were still people inside, their heartbeats wild and erratic - but there was no time to hesitate, not when there were lives at stake. Kara heaved, blowing as hard as she could, and the flames sputtered and died in the icy air. People were still screaming, their cries ringing loudly in her ears, and without a second thought she flew inside, crashing through onto one of the upper floors.

First priority was getting them out. The blocked door to the stairway flew open with a single kick and she corralled them down, keeping the smoke at bay with her breath, before she turned back to scan for stragglers. The building was clear, thank Rao, but as she looked up she saw one left, stuck on a floor above her – and gritting her teeth she sped up through the stairwell, smashing through a weak part of the ceiling with a grunt.

“Citizen!” Even with her powers the smoke stung at her lungs with each breath, but she kept on pushing forward. “I’m here, just hold on-”

_Crack._

One second she was on her feet – and the next her world was spinning wildly out of control as she was sent flying, crashing through a wall and landing with a painful crunch. Kara groaned – that actually hurt, it shouldn’t have but it did – but before she could even get back up something snagged her ankle and dragged her back through the hole she’d made.

Her hand went down, trying to pry away whatever it was holding her, but the instant she made contact it swallowed up her hand as well, pinning it down to her leg. A surprised grunt escaped her lips just before she was tossed through another wall, landing in a blazing heap, and she hissed as the flames licked at her heels – she could feel it.

_“You’re hard to kill, I’ll give you that!”_

Through the smog she saw a shape moving towards her – it looked human, but with each step it took it grew and bloated until it towered over her. Kara stared in shock as a hulking mountain of mud raised a sloughing, dripping fist and raised her own just in time to block the brunt of the blow – but before she could even move the mud flowed over her, thick and viscous and making it all but impossible to move.

_“But I can see when someone’s playing a role they’re not cut out for….”_

She gasped as the mud began to squeeze, forcing the air from her lungs, but no matter how much she struggled she couldn’t budge. Each sputtered breath she took only made it worse, the pressure constricting her chest and forcing more oxygen out, and as her vision began to fleck with red she saw a face appear in the mud, a sneer playing over its shoddy features.

They were moving – at least it wasn’t smoky any more, she thought hazily – and a second later she realised why that was. The wind whipped against her face as the thing hauled her out towards an open window, it's disgusting, gurgling laughter echoing through her head, and she tried one last time to break free – but her arm stayed stubbornly by her side, compacted down by the sludge.

_“And it looks like this is your curtain call, my dear-”_

The face exploded outwards, gloopy bits of mud splashing over her own, and for a moment Kara blinked stupidly at the missing head. _A weird way to finish off a villain monologue,_ she thought to herself hazily as the mud reared back and spat her out onto the floor. Kara wheezed, the slightly acrid air burning as she gulped down breath after breath, and when she looked up she saw the mud man turned away from her, distracted by whatever had just saved her.

_“How dare you interrupt my scene, you insolent wretch-“_

_Kra-kooom!_

This time its whole sludgy body burst apart, splattering over the rubble in a clap of thunder that made her ears ring. She squinted, trying to peer through the receding smoke, and another figure came into focus – one wreathed in yellow, crackling lightning.

“B-Barry?” Relief washed through her. “T-thank you-”

Barry stepped forward – and then she promptly realised that it very much _wasn’t_ Barry staring back at her. They- _she_ was shorter, less stick thin, and the suit she wore was completely different – it was bulkier, more mechanical, and the rich, deep shade of emerald of the armor glittered mesmerizingly in the flames. Kara blinked at her, mouth slightly agape – and let out a surprised yelp as she was scooped up in the person’s arms.

Time got slower and slower as the speedster stepped out over the edge and when her foot met the side of the building it had stopped altogether. The cloud of ash and smoke above them wasn’t billowing out any more, locked in place in the night sky, and the rubble falling besides them was frozen – Kara reached out, brushing against a rock and sending it spinning away into the darkness. She couldn’t help but grin – this was weird, she’d never moved so fast time wasn’t a thing – and noticed her rescuer was smiling too, her lips a stark slash of crimson on pale, almost gleaming skin.

It felt like an eternity as they blazed down towards the ground, a blurry trail of neon bleeding off the speedster’s body – it wasn’t just yellow, she realised, watching streaks of purple swirling inside the vortex. Kara’s fingers trailed over the symbol on her chestplate, her skin tingling as sparks danced over it – a bolt, different from Barry’s, but strangely familiar – and she flushed, pulling her hand back when she realised what she was doing.

Finally they reached the sidewalk, the stranger barely missing a step as she landed, and all of a sudden time was switched back on. Up above them the floor they’d been on just a second ago exploded, belching out one last ball of fire and Kara raised her arm, bits of concrete pinging harmlessly against it.

“Whoa,” she breathed out. “Thanks for the save!”

“You’re-” The woman hesitated for a moment, but returned her smile. “You’re welcome.”

She helped Kara back onto her feet, catching her as she wobbled – great first impression, she cursed mentally, needing to be rescued and then tripping over her own feet – and she was turning to go when Kara reached out, catching her wrist lightly.

“Wait- who are you?”

“Nobody,” came the reply. “I’m just trying to help.”

“You saved my life up there. Can I get a name, just so I know who I have to thank?”

The speedster chuckled, the sound of her vibrating laughter sending an odd shiver down Kara’s back. “You’ll have to do better than that, Supergirl.”

“I could just follow you, you know,” Kara insisted. “Or peek under that helmet.”

“You’ll have to catch me first.” The woman vibrated, her arm slipping through Kara’s grasp like smoke, and flashed her one more brilliant, toothy grin. “And I think we both know who’s faster.”

And with another crack of thunder, they were gone.

“Supergirl, report – what’s the situation?”

J’onn’s voice crackled to life in her earpiece and Kara let out an exasperated sigh, reaching up to tap on it.

“It’s- it’s handled,” she replied, her voice still a little raspy. “There was some kind of alien in there made of- mud, I think. It almost- it’s down, but I had a little help doing it. She ran me out of there before the whole place blew.”

“And who is this “she”?”

“I don’t know.” Kara looked down at her hand, watching the last sparks of yellow-purple electricity fizzle out between her fingertips. “But I have a feeling I’ll be seeing her again soon.”


	2. Chapter 2

Heart pounding. Mind racing. Her nerves ablaze with fire, warmth surging through every fibre of her being.

She still wasn’t used to it.

Before all of this she had always been too busy, never had time to stop and notice the world around her - it was almost funny that it took six months in bed and gaining superspeed for her to finally take a moment to see the city. Every neighbourhood, every face of each person who lived there – she made a point of remembering every single one, and after a month National City, that had felt so cold to her ever since she got here, felt a little more like a place she could call home.

She vaulted over a taxi, landing seamlessly back into her sprint, and turned south towards the docks. Jess was going to be annoyed that she’d outed her existence to Supergirl, she thought to herself with a small chuckle – but she wouldn’t deny that it felt exhilarating to be the one saving the hero, instead of the other way around.

The doors to the warehouse-cum-makeshift safehouse were already open and she ran through, sparks flying from her boots as she skidded to a halt. Her lightning crackled and spat for a moment more, fading away as she finally slowed, and with a deep exhale she reached up to pull her helmet away to shake her hair free.

“How was the suit?”

“Impressive,” she breathed. “The superconductor system worked, I felt even faster than before.”

Jess handed her a tablet, pressing on the screen and bringing up a graph. “The numbers definitely support that - your suit computer clocked your top speed at ten percent higher than your previous best.”

“But I’m still not fast enough.” The image of Supergirl, gasping and choking as the life was squeezed out of her by the metahuman, was still burned into her mind – if she’d taken a longer route, arrived a second too late- she didn’t even want to imagine what might have happened. “I was almost too late to save Supergirl. There must be some way to increase the induction coil output, to amplify the energy I generate-”

“You _saved_ Supergirl?”

She rolled her eyes. _Predictable as always._ “Yes, Jess, I did. Is there a problem?”

Her assistant let out a heavy sigh, crossing her arms. “Only the possibility of being caught, revealed and tried as a vigilante. Look, I’m not going to tell you what to do – God knows you wouldn’t listen anyways – but you need to be careful. The organisation she works for, the DEO – they’re more likely to dissect you than give you a medal.”

“I trust her,” Lena grunted, tugging at the latches on her suit and releasing the armor plates from her body. “And as far as I know, she trusts me as well. There’s no need to worry, Jess.”

“She trusts Lena Luthor. She doesn’t know” – Jess waved her hand at the helmet sitting on the table – “whoever this is.”

“I’ll keep your concerns in mind. Can we get to work now?”

“I’m going to– but _you_ have dinner with Ms Danvers.” Jess plugged a cable into her helmet and the computers came to life, streams of data and telemetry scrolling down the screens. “Did you get a sample from the meta?”

“Here.” Lena fished out a cylinder, half-filled with mud that still swirled and moved around inside. “Run it for DNA - law enforcement databases, local and federal, I need to know who he is.”

“You should know, when I applied for my job, this is not what I envisioned,” Jess grumbled, making a face as she took the container and the sludge inside started to slap noisily against the glass. “Now shoo. Somehow, for someone with superspeed, you still have a lot of trouble being on time.”

“Very droll, Ms Fujimoto,” she replied drily. “I- thank you, Jess. I know I’m asking for more than you signed up for-”

“Being your assistant was already more than I signed up for, Lena, and I didn’t leave then. What makes you think I’m going to complain now when I’m helping you save the city?” The woman’s lips twitched into a smirk. “That being said, I wouldn’t say no to a raise.”

“I’ll put it on the massive list of things I’m getting you for Christmas,” Lena chuckled. “Have a good night.”

Jess’ reply was lost in the _boom_ as she took off once again, dashing through the darkened, neon-lit streets. The woman knew her too well, she thought to herself as she glanced down at her watch – it was almost half past eight and she’d be damned if she was late for dinner with Kara after making her wait for seven months. The thought of the blonde, sitting on her couch and staring disappointedly at the door – it spurred her on, and with another burst of speed she finally reached Kara’s apartment.

Her hand was outstretched, knuckles rapping against the door, when she saw her arm – still clad in the dark purple of her jumpsuit - and panic set in. She ran, sprinting to her office and sending papers flying into the air – and she was doing up the last button on her blouse just as Kara appeared.

“L-Lena-” Kara stammered, her cheeks looking a little rosier than usual. “Hi! I- um- please, come in! Sorry I took so long to answer, I was just finishing up the food and I didn’t want to burn anything and ruin the night and-”

“Kara, relax.” She placed a hand on Kara’s arm, her skin tingling at the familiar, pleasant warmth. “I wasn’t really expecting anything besides potstickers and pizza. A home-cooked meal made by my favourite person is going to be amazing, burnt or not.”

Kara ducked her head, blushing prettily. “You might regret saying that in a few minutes…”

It had been months since she’d last been here and it had changed since then, but it was still so unmistakably _Kara_. The new chairs had all received a coat of bright, pastel colours and there was an old radio on the coffee table with wires spilling from an open panel. Lena couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight – for all Kara pretended not to understand whenever she talked science, she sure did know a lot about it.

As Kara fussed over the stove, she wandered over to the easel. The paintings that were outlines seven months ago were all finished now, propped up neatly against the wall, and she couldn’t help take a look - there was a house in one of them, set on a field and a shining, glittering lake behind, and a landscape with tall, ornate towers with a blazing red sun above. They were gorgeous, so real it was like looking through a window – but what took her breath away was the last one. Lena swallowed thickly, an odd but not unpleasant warmth settling deep in her chest – because there she was on the canvas, painstakingly detailed in smooth, deliberate strokes.

“I’m almost ready Lena, just give me a few more minutes-” Kara’s sentence came to an abrupt halt, and Lena turned to see her friend wearing an expression that looked very much like a deer caught in the headlights. “I- uh- it’s- um-”

“Did you paint this?” Her voice came out quiet, reverential.

“Yes?” Kara sounded more like she was asking a question than answering one. “I- I’m sorry, it’s no good-”

“It’s perfect,” she murmured. “If anything, you’ve made me look far too pretty.”

“ _Pssshhhhh_ , like that’s possible….”

“Oh really?” The corner of her lips twitched up into a smirk. “Dinner _and_ flattery, Miss Danvers – you sure know how to make a girl feel special.”

In the month after she woke up, she’d imagined it so many times - but nothing compared to seeing with her own two eyes, because when Kara smiled it was like the _sun_. Radiant, joyful and dazzling – she held nothing back, her emotions laid out like an open book, and Lena didn’t know what to do with that sincerity besides smile back and hope that she showed even a fraction of the same.

“Thank you,” she added quietly. Her feet moved, one in front of another, without her really thinking about it – it was some indescribable thing, like one half calling to the other – and she wrapped her arms tightly around Kara. “You’re too good to me.”

“Impossible,” came the reply, soft and genuine. “And you don’t have to thank me. You’re my friend, now and always.”

“I almost brought those people to this city, Kara-”

“Then you saved it.”

“And then I nearly blew it up-”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Kara pulled back, looking her right in the eyes. “None of it was. You were trying to do the right thing; you always do, and that’s what matters. Lena, you told me once that I was your hero – well, you’re mine.”

A loud hiss filled the room and just like that the moment dissipated. Kara let out a squeak, running to the hob, and Lena was alone – but she didn’t feel like it, not anymore. She’d missed this – missed her friend, possibly her best and only friend - and as she looked at herself, captured flawlessly with an expression that was too bright and pure to be her own, she felt better than she’d done for years.

“So you know what I said about burning things….” Kara came back into view, looking sheepish.

Lena laughed, discreetly wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. “Is it still edible?”

Kara scrunched up her nose - and winced as the pot gave one last spiteful hiss from in the sink. “I still have something in the fridge, but it’s for later – so, pizza and potstickers?”

“Couldn’t imagine anything better.”

~oOo~

The food arrived quickly – a benefit from being their most frequent customer, apparently, not that she was complaining. Her powers came with an appetite, one that reared its ugly head when Kara came back from the door with pizza boxes stacked high in her arms and a heavy paper bag balanced precariously on top.

_Gurgle._

Kara’s eyes widened.

“Not. One. Word.”

Lena held up a finger, trying to recall all the lessons in composure and etiquette that had been drilled into her since she stepped foot in the Luthor mansion for the first time – and gave up when Kara burst out laughing.  She rolled her eyes, but it was hard to care when she was this hungry – or when Kara looked this happy – and tucked in.

“Lena, how- that is your sixth slice!”

“ _Pwobwem_?” she garbled out, halfway through a mouthful of delicious, gooey cheese, and held up a hand as she managed to gulp it down. “I had a bit of an eventful day, sue me.”

“I think I’d be bankrupt before I even finished a conversation with your lawyer.” Kara speared a dumpling with a fork and let out a deep, satisfied moan as she bit into it. “Was the accounting issue that bad?”

“It got… a little out of hand. There may have been a small fire.”

“Never a dull day, huh?”

“Never,” Lena replied, grinning as Kara flicked another potsticker up into the air and caught it between her teeth. “How’s Catco? Anything exciting happen whilst I was gone?”

“You mean besides Snapper constantly hounding me for an exclusive on you?” Kara huffed, blowing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. “Nothing much, really. Winn and James are being really unsubtle about dating each other, Alex is still with Maggie and they’re having a great time together - so I don’t see her around a lot now.”

The bitterness in her voice was like oil in water, sounding almost alien to her - and it was clear there was something wrong, if Lena couldn’t tell already by the way she watched Kara tear off a piece of crust forcefully – and not even eat it, just staring intently at the bread. “Do you… want to talk about it?”

“No-” the blonde hesitated, her brow furrowing. “We had an argument earlier- I don’t want to get into it, it’s your welcome home party and I want you to have a good time, not listen to me complain.”

“Well, since it’s my party and I get to do what I want…” Lena shuffled over, bumping her shoulder against Kara’s. “I think I’d have a good time if I sat down with my best friend and helped her talk through what was bothering her.”

“Sneaky,” Kara grumbled, pouting a little.

“I _am_ a Luthor, aren’t I?” she teased. “But in all seriousness – if you don’t want to talk, that’s okay. Just know I’m here if you do.”

Kara’s hand squeezing hers wasn’t an unfamiliar sensation, but it never failed to startle her. To be this close to someone, to trust someone so deeply – it was just like taking that first step before she ran, feeling her heart flutter as exhilaration and fear pumped through her veins.

“Thank you,” Kara mumbled. “Ughhh, this was supposed to be fun, I’m so sorry for just taking the mood down.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’ve had a lovely night…”

“Now you’re being too kind,” Kara replied, the corners of her lips twitching into a slight smile. “You have any room left in that magic stomach of yours?”

“You’re one to talk,” Lena retorted, grinning back. “Hmm, it depends – will it be burnt?”

“Funny, you’re so funny!” Kara yelled back over her shoulder as she disappeared into the kitchen, and a moment later she came back with a cake, messily decorated with colourful icing, and words piped on top that made her feel warm in her soul.

“Welcome home, Lena.”

Lena’s chest felt tight, so tight she could barely breathe. “It’s good to be back.”

~oOo~

“How was your night?”

“Good,” Lena murmured, focused intently on the two wires she had clamped in the sea of circuitry laid out on the workbench. She hadn’t heard Jess come in – that woman was like a ghost, somehow always appearing out of thin air whenever needed – and she looked up, giving her a quick nod hello. “Kara baked me a cake.”

“Oh, did she now?”

Her hand moved a fraction of an inch, deftly soldering them together, and with a press of a button the coils on her chestplate lit up, humming with power as lightning resumed its flow through the circuits. _Finally,_ she thought with satisfaction.

“Here, I thought you might have skipped breakfast.” A brown bag dropped into view in front of her and she sat up, her stomach already growling as she pulled off her goggles. She was already half-way through the first bagel by the time Jess got to the main computer, tapping it off idle, and finished when the screen came on.

“I actually didn’t, but thanks.” Lena smiled, remembering Kara’s insistence on cooking her breakfast even after the disaster the night before. Surprisingly, it turned out edible – and quite delicious, but she hid her astonishment for Kara’s sake. “Kara made me something before I got in.”

“You… stayed the night?”

“Yes?” She quirked an eyebrow at her assistant. “It was late by the time we finished eating, and Kara insisted I stay over instead of weathering the journey back to my apartment.”

“Right….” Jess looked like she was about to say something - but apparently thought the better of it, since she simply smirked as she turned back to the computer. “Well, looks like we managed to get _some_ usable DNA from that muck, and it came back to-”

_KARLO, BASIL._

“Huh. The B-Lister who got fired for punching his director?” Jess scrolled down, reading through the police file on his arrest. “Doesn’t exactly look like the face of evil, does he?”

“No-one ever does,” Lena murmured, carefully tucking the wiring back inside the suit. Her thoughts turned inevitably to Lex – but she shook her head, dismissing them. She was in too good a mood to let it be ruined, and she had far better things to focus on than a man who had long since abandoned her. “He’s a Gothamite, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but he relocated to National City after his out of court settlement. And guess when that was?”

“Just before the particle accelerator explosion.” Her hand balled into a fist, her knuckles turning white. “Another one of my mistakes.”

“It doesn’t make sense though, why would a down on his luck actor with- _mud_ powers set a building on fire and target Supergirl?”

“He wouldn’t.” Lena tugged the chestplate flush against her chest, listening for the _hiss_ as it sealed shut around her, and reached for her gauntlets. “Unless he had motivation. Was there anything else in the sample?”

“Besides the weird human mud goo?” Jess hummed. “Looks like there’s…. artificial _kryptonite_ lacing the sample, and it’s coming up with a match in L-Corp’s internal database. That means-”

“Cadmus.” Lena’s jaw clenched. “She never learns.”

Lilian hadn’t changed – not that she particularly expected her to, given the sum total of her years living as her daughter, and yet that familiar feeling of- _disappointment_ never failed to rear its head whenever her mother chose to reappear into her life. _Maybe I’d backed the wrong child_. Those words would have meant the world to her maybe two years ago, but if recent events were any indication – it was time to move on.

“You have a meeting scheduled with the board this afternoon. Shall I cancel?”

“You’d better.”

A wry smile tinged her lips as she pulled on her helmet, the heads-up display lighting up with a low hum. Her mother had been right about one thing, though – she _would_ be the Luthor to save the world, one way or another, even if it broke her in two to do it. Her fist tightened as lightning crackled to life around her – and with a _crack_ she was away.

A map popped up, laying out the route to Karlo’s last known address, and after a moment she was at his door. Lena pressed her hand up against it – there was nothing on the other side, or so the suit sensors were telling her – and phased through, a shiver travelling down her back at the oddness of the sensation.

The apartment was a wreck – someone or something had gone through it like a hurricane, smashing everything in its path. Lena’s nose wrinkled at the smell – the man clearly hadn’t been overly wedded to cleanliness whilst he’d lived here - and as she made her way inside she noticed the door to the balcony had been broken inwards, with black, hardened dirt tracked in across the floor.

“He’s been back recently,” she muttered. “Check local surveillance, I want to know where he went.”

“On it,” Jess replied. “Is there anything else?”

“Not at the moment, no-”

“Great! Because you have a call from Miss Danvers. Patching her through in a moment!”

“Jess!” Lena hissed – and if her assistant thought she hadn’t heard that last little chuckle before she disconnected, she was _very_ wrong. Her hands went to smooth down her skirt – except she wasn’t wearing one, nor was Kara in front of her – and she cleared her throat discreetly, feeling her cheeks flush hot just as the call connected. “Hello?”

“Lena, hi!” Kara’s voice was muffled lightly by the sound of wind whipping by, but her enthusiasm shone through nonetheless. “I’m- I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“No, of course not,” Lena replied, maybe a little too quickly. “I’ve always got time for you, Kara. Is everything okay?”

Kara’s grin was so loud she could practically hear it through the line. “Things are great – I’m great, fine and dandy! Um- I mean- well, I just wanted to say sorry for rushing out this morning, I didn’t mean to up and leave you in the middle of breakfast like that.”

“It’s alright, darling,” Lena hummed, her eyes narrowing as she plucked a scribbled note from the wreckage of what used to be a desk – an address of somewhere uptown, with the current date and time scribbled beside it  – and relayed it back to Jess. “Thank you again for cooking for me, you really didn’t have to.”

“It’s nothing, and besides, I- I wanted to.” Kara fell silent for a moment, so quiet Lena thought she'd hung up if not for the sound of her breathing. “Hey, I’m busy at this film set at the moment, I’ve got to do an interview with some director – and I know we literally just spent the last twelve hours with reach other, but-”

Lena chuckled. “Lunch would be lovely, Kara. I’ll run by- in my car to pick you up, where are you?”

“I’ll text you the address!”

It flashed up on her display, it was the same address as- as-

_No- oh God, no._

“I’ve got to go-”

“Lena? What’s wrong-”

“I’ll see you soon!”

She jumped from the balcony, lightning crackling and shattering what glass remained intact in the windows, and the impact jarred through her legs painfully – but she kept on running, so fast that she could hear the drawn out groans of the alarms she set off behind her.

“Jess, call the police!” she yelled into the comms. “The address I gave you, right now!”

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, drowning out all other noise, and she felt her mind cloud with real, genuine fear. Kara was in danger – and because of her, because of _her_ mistake – and she felt her gut twist with that all too familiar sensation of guilt. _Stop, you have to focus_ , she told herself, gritting her teeth – but with each step she took it felt like she was sinking, her feet like lead in their boots.

With an almighty _boom_ she found herself in the middle of an empty square, startled pigeons scattering all around her, and Lena’s blood ran cold as it surged through her veins. It was completely silent – dead and unstirringly so – and she couldn’t see anyone around, not Kara, not a single person. She was too late, too slow once again and something unspeakable had happened-

“ _Cut!_ ”

She startled at the sudden shout, ready to take off at a moment’s notice – and from around the corner of a building a man appeared, megaphone in hand. Kara was trailing behind, pen and pad in hand – and Lena felt the fist around her heart unclench, letting out a held breath with relief. It was okay- Kara was okay, she was safe-

“What the hell kind of get-up is that supposed to be? Get off my set-”

He froze mid-sentence, his face going pale - and Lena turned in time to see an upturned car soaring through the air, headed straight for her. She was away before it even began its journey back to the ground, watching it land where she’d been standing with an ear-splitting crash, and as the film crew scattered a familiar, hulking mass of sludge reared up and solidified.

Its- _face_ twisted into a crude snarl and lunged forward, sending a column of mud surging from its arm, and Lena ducked underneath, her chestplate lighting up with electricity as she charged. A direct attack would be ineffective – the last time she had caught him by surprise, before he could ensnare her much like he'd done to Supergirl. She'd need an alternate strategy - and her mind was already burning through ideas as she dodged another clumsy swing, the air practically singing as she built more and more speed with each loop she made around him.

“ _You’re ruining my scene!”_ Karlo roared, swatting at her ineffectually. “ _You won’t get away with it this time, you insolent_ _bitch!”_

His fist raked along the concrete, missing her by a wide margin, and she kept on running – only to see a hunk of it flying at the director, at _Kara._ Lena almost missed a step – but managed to catch herself just in time to change trajectory, racing against the hurtling debris, and without thinking, without hesitation she put herself between it and Kara.

When Supergirl had done the same for her, it had looked effortless and painless – but when the concrete struck her with a _crack_ it was very much the opposite for her. Lena grunted, pain lancing sharply through her side as she stumbled back a few steps, and it took almost all of her concentration to ignore the urge to keel over onto her knees. _Stupid, that was stupid and brash_ , a voice in her head that sounded too much like her mother told her – but it was hard to care when she saw Kara standing in front of her, alarmed but otherwise unharmed.

“Kara- Miss Danvers,” she managed to get out. “Stay behind me-”

“You’re injured!” Kara reached out, trying to steady her, but she held up her hand before she got too close.

“I can take it. Now, go!”

Kara looked like she wanted to argue - but Lena couldn’t have that, couldn’t have her risking herself because of something that was _her fault_. She went to pick her up, her arms already screaming in protest at the slight movement - but something slammed into her, sending her crashing through a bench.

The world span around her, a dizzying swirl of blurred light and muted sound. Lena heard groaning - and then realised belatedly it was coming from herself, her breathing hoarse and laboured as it rattled past her lips. Her body creaked as she rolled onto her side, desperate for a moment’s reprieve, but she didn’t have time to rest - and with her jaw clenched, she pushed herself back up.

Karlo advanced, his fists shifting and hardening into what looked like sledgehammers, and Lena winced as she took off once again – motion made the pain worse by the second, making it harder and harder to keep going. She needed to finish it fast, before he landed any more lucky hits.

An idea sprang to mind – a terrible, stupid idea that would ruin her suit and maybe blow herself up, but at least the former could always be fixed. Lena smiled bitterly, imagining the inevitable grilling Jess was going to give her once she got back - and stopped running, coming to a stop barely ten feet away from Karlo. He stared at her, confused for a moment - and with a monstrous laugh his body split open, countless arms reaching out and latching around her body.

“ _Ready to call it a day, huh?”_ Karlo taunted. _“You, Supergirl - you’re all the same, just weak and pathetic.”_

Lena gasped as she was enveloped, the sludge already squeezing down painfully against what had to be cracked ribs - but she held on, biting back a scream as he pulled her in. She willed herself to move, through the pain and the fear gnawing deep in her stomach - and she started to vibrate, moving faster and faster, feeling the power surge and crackle through her. The coils around her torso hummed, gathering more and more of the lightning sloughing off her body, and their glow was so bright it was almost blinding, even through the thick layer of mud – but still she kept on going, until it felt as though her suit was about to rip itself apart and her along with it.

“ _That director's going to break a leg for what he did to me, and then every other bone in his pathetic body, and so are you-”_

“For the love of Christ, would you shut up,” she growled, her deepened, echoing voice cutting over his. “Has anyone ever told you that puns are the lowest form of humour?”

Her reply caught him off guard – long enough for her to vibrate her arm free from the muck, and a cry ripped out of her as she reached down, her hand tearing through the muck. Lena flashed him a smirk, victory singing through her veins as her fingers closed around the central piece between the coils - and tore it free.

It was like setting off a bomb – or rather, it was literally that. Karlo managed a look of surprise before a blinding explosion of yellow and purple ripped through his body, and he faded from view as the blast sent her flying, sparks flying as her suit scraped against the concrete. The ruined mess that used to be the superconductor system sparked viciously and she tore it away, groaning in relief as the searing heat faded from her skin. Lena spared Karlo a glance – his body was melting, washing away into the drains, and she almost felt sorry for him - but then pain returned to her body, acutely and wholly unwelcome, and she didn’t at all.

 _“N-no-_ ” he gurgled. _“I can’t- I’m the star of the show, I can’t- he promised-_ ”

And with one final bubble, he dissolved into nothingness.

“Y-you did it!”

“Ms. Danvers.” Of course Kara couldn’t stay away - Lena would be annoyed, if she weren’t so inordinately glad to see her safe. She turned slowly, pivoting on her good leg, and managed a small grin. “I thought I told you stay back.”

“And you said you could take it,” Kara replied quickly. “You need to rest, you look like you’re about to keel over!”

“I’m fine,” she insisted, even as an extensive list of injuries popped up on the helmet HUD. “Is everyone alright?”

“Yes, they’re okay, thanks to you.” Kara peered at her, those piercing blue eyes searching for something, and Lena was suddenly very glad she’d ignored Jess’ domino mask suggestion and opted for a helmet that would actually obscure her features. “Who- who are you? And how do you know my name?”

“A woman's got to keep some secrets.” Lena heaved a deep sigh, resting against a wall - and just at that moment, the wail of sirens filled the air, growing less and less distant by the minute. “And I’d prefer to keep them, at least for now.”

“But what do I call you?”

“You can call me whatever you like,” she heard herself saying, before her brain caught up to her mouth.

Kara ducked her head, biting her bottom lip as her cheeks dusted with a faint shade of red. “I think I should call you an ambulance, you look like you need it.”

“It’s alright, I heal quickly.” Lena readied herself, one foot planted in front of another. “Stay out of trouble, Ms Danvers.”

  
“You too-” Kara’s smile was wary, but genuine. “-Flash.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a late chrimbo present to all y'all supercorps
> 
> gays make the world go round and i love you


End file.
